And so it goes, if fashion journalists and even those who are neither journalists or even know much about fashion can blog on the topic then why shouldn’t one of the best fashion departments in of one of the best museums in the land blog, too?
The Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York announced today in WWD that its next exhibit will get in on the interactive act with a “blogbar” (nothing like mixing the notion of cocktails with this newfangled thing called the internet), showcase the daily postings on its site and even publish some of those comments in the post-show catalog.
The exhibit--"blog.mode: addressing fashion," on view from Dec. 18 to April 13—aims to expand and democratize the dialogue between the storied institution and the public (especially all those young whipper-snappin' clotheshorses, no doubt) on a subject that is everywhere and, therefore, already democratic in many ways. Well, except for maybe a brand-spanking pair of Manolos; Blahnik is underwriting the show.
Some 40 ensembles, complete with accessories, will be on view, starting with a 1730s man's suit and finishing with a look from the 2008 collections, which curators Harold Koda and Andrew Bolton will pluck off the runways. From the Met’s archives, there will be conversation-provoking looks from Rudi Gernreich, Adrian, Yohji Yamamoto, Hussein Chalayan (as well as the CDG and JPG looks pictured here) and the usual, more commercial suspects.
In all seriousness, it's about time museums start sharing more of their precious archives with the accessibility the web affords. As with a painting or sculpture, it's never as enlightening as seeing the real thing up close and personal. But enabling all people to witness their potential even on a screen just seems like par for the course for any place charged with safeguarding a legacy, particularly that of a public institution.
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